Fairy Tales are some of the most adapted works in literary history. The most famous authors/retellers of these stories are littered across Europe. From Perrault’s French Red Riding Hood to Andersen’s Danish mermaid and the Brothers Grimm’s German Snow White, each collector has added their own ethical and personal flavours to their work. Across the last century, there has been a plethora of adaptations in fairy tales from the likes of Angela Carter, Anne Sexton and Walt Disney. This thesis explores the relevance of fairy tales in the twenty-first century through a collection of short stories and a supporting exegesis. The collection adapts fairy tales into modern day settings and explores dangers for young people in today’s society. I will adapt the characters and plots of ‘Rapunzel’, ‘Little Snow-White’, ‘Bluebeard’, ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘The Red Shoes’, with stories inspired by ‘Sun, Moon and Talia’ (Sleeping Beauty), and ‘Red Riding Hood’ in the appendices. I divulge into how my characters are subjected to issues involving child/sex trafficking, social media, body dysmorphia, domestic violence in the COVID-19 pandemic, stalking, cyber addiction, date rape drugs and grooming. Each of the characters' inexplicable behaviours, carried with them from their original fairy tale worlds, causes improbable situations. In the exegesis, I expand upon what effects these stories have on the reader and why Fairy Tales still matter in the twenty-first century.
| Date of Award | 9 Apr 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Michael Stewart (Main Supervisor) & Jodie Matthews (Co-Supervisor) |
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